Munich has really good ice cream and gelato. I appreciate it all the more after a recent trip to New York and DC, where I had some decent gelato, but it was too expensive! One scoop for $5 - $6? And for gelato that is good, but not great?! The going price in Munich is 1.50 Euros, and many consider that to be expensive! But it's worth it. My favorite place for the last couple of years has been Balla Beni, and I've been a loyal customer. But today, I finally made my way around the corner to Der Verrückte Eismacher (translates to "the crazy ice cream maker"), and I think they might just have won me over! I had been skeptical, because I knew they were most known for their "crazy" flavors - weird things like pork chop, falafel, or sausage ice cream (also, slightly less crazy, but still original, flavors like Augustiner Beer, Hugo or Champagne Cocktail, and Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar). It seemed like it might all be a lot of hype, and besides, I really really liked the dark chocolate ginger gelato at Balla Beni.

I'm not sure I'll ever try the sausage ice cream (but hey, apparently people like to buy it for their dogs as a special treat, and the dogs just love it), but today I had a dark chocolate cherry sorbet that was simply fantastic, and also tried the lemon yogurt and the Augustiner beer ice cream, both of which were perfect re-creations of those flavors in ice cream form.

My one suggestion is to take your ice cream up the street to the Akademie (turn left and you'll see it at the end of the street) to sit on the steps to eat - it's a better spot than the actual shop, which can feel a bit stuffy and claustrophobic.